


A Little Bit of Hell

by dancingdonkey



Series: A Little Bit of Hell [1]
Category: National Football League RPF
Genre: Chicago Bears, Football, M/M, NFL, Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-08-13 20:05:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7984468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancingdonkey/pseuds/dancingdonkey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt Barkley is a new member of the Chicago Bears practice squad, and isn't finding it at all as great as he thought it would be. It's entirely different from his previous team, the Cardinals, and he has trouble fitting in. Until, that is, he meets a particularly special member of the team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

September 4, 2016

 

Matt Barkley finally got to drop his bags and collapse on his new full sized bed. He had arrived in Chicago early this morning, and had gone through so many meetings he was considering suicide. He met head coach John Fox, GM Ryan Pace, and several other coaches and people whose names he had forgotten. Tomorrow was Labor Day, and Matt’s first practice with the Bears, so he'd meet the other quarterbacks and new teammates then.

For now, after getting no sleep on an overnight flight in coach, twelve hours signing papers, meeting people, and then his taxi getting stuck in traffic, Matt was so ready for sleep. It was almost nine, and he had to be up at six, so he figured he'd just stay right where he was, flopped down on his stomach in his hotel. He'd start looking for an apartment soon, he wanted to get used to Chicago for now.

Just as Matt rolled over and kicked his shoes off, he felt his phone vibrate.

“No.” He said out loud, and soon whoever was calling hung up. He smiled at the silence. Not a minute later then, his phone went off again.

“Can you just not.” Matt sighed as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, and saw that it was Patrick Peterson, cornerback for the Cardinals, and definitely one of Matt’s best friends on the team.

“What?” Matt asked, annoyed and tired as he put his phone to his ear.

“Hey, man! How’re you liking Chi-town?” Patrick, unfazed by Matt’s bothered tone.

“It was great until you called. How's it back there?” Matt’s voice remained at that annoyed level, wanting Pat to know exactly how much he didn't want to talk.

“Same ole, same ole, we’re still alive after the departure of our great lord and savior, Mr. Barkley.” Pat laughed at the other end of the line, none of that response made Matt feel better.

“Good to know the world hasn't fallen apart.”

“We miss ya, brother, but we all move on sometime. It's a shame you're not with us anymore.” Matt could feel Patrick grinning from ear to ear.

“C’mon, dude, I didn't die or anything. Now can you hang up and let me sleep?” Matt knew he sounded like a whiny bitch, but he just didn't want to talk right now.

“Just wanted to make sure you were doing alright, that's all. The guys said to say hi for them, alright?” Pat spoke a little softer, not wanting his happy mood to ruin Matt's sour one.

“Yeah, yeah, tell them I said hi back. Goodnight, man.” Matt said, phone already inching away from his face.

“Take care, bro, goodnight!” Pat hung up, and so did Matt, who set his phone on the nightstand.

He immediately curled up, grabbing a pillow and holding it close. He was still in his dress pants and collared shirt, but being too tired to care, he left them on. It was only a matter of minutes before Matt had fallen asleep.

 

The next morning came, and Matt woke up in the same position that he fell asleep in, curled up around his pillow. He reached for his phone, seeing that he had woken up just a few minutes before his alarm. He hates when he does that.

Sitting up, Matt stretched out and wiggled out of his uncomfortable clothes, going to his suitcase to find shorts and a t-shirt. He skipped a shower and just opted to put on more deodorant instead. No one would care.

He still didn't have a car, he really should pick up a rental, but he had to be in Chicago so soon he didn't have to chance to grab one. So he opted for another taxi. Besides, he didn't know his way around, and he was terrible with Google Maps.

By a quarter to seven he made it to Halas Hall, the Bears headquarters and training facility. Practice didn't start until eight, but he, and a couple of other new members of the practice squad were asked to come in early. The locker room was about half full, guys wanted to come in early and take their time getting ready, or others who just wanted to get a head start on everyone else. That second option would more than likely be Matt once he got settled down.

His new locker was between two other members of the practice squad, defensive back De’Vante Bausby, and linebacker John Timu. They were both sitting, not yet in practice gear, and making casual conversation with a couple of other guys.

Matt already stashed a bag with some stuff, his own toiletries, extra clothes, in his locker yesterday, so he didn't have to bring anything today.

“Morning.” He smiled and nodded to the guys around him as he sat down, opening up his phone to check for the zero texts he had. The quiet chatter going on between his new teammates had ceased, and Matt looked up, a little confused as he glanced between De’Vante and John, then the other guys whose names he didn't know.

“Sorry if I, uh, interrupted or something.” Matt said, he could feel his cheeks turning a little pink, the large guys, mostly linebackers, d-backs, and linemen, were _still_ staring at him. Was it because he was white? A quarterback? Both? He wasn't racist, he'd have no problem having his locker here, but he felt very unwelcome.

“Sorry.” Matt said, standing up quickly and collecting his phone, starting to walk away. He wasn't confrontational, especially when it came to guys who weighed a lot more than him, some of which were told to kill the quarterback on a daily basis.

He wanted to switch lockers, but the guys on the roster had their names engraved above their lockers, and the practice squad was all together. He'd have to come back later, when they had all stopped chatting, maybe then he could sit at his own locker.

Matt found a chair, he didn't know to whom it belonged, it was at the end of one row of lockers, so he sat down on it. Not a minute later, a bearded guy about Matt's height came up to him. He recognized the man as Brian Hoyer.

“They own your ass now, Barkley. This ain't high school, don't tuck your tail between your legs and run.” Hoyer chuckled, offering his hand to Matt for a shake. Matt took it, releasing it after a couple seconds.

“Didn't want to start trouble on my first day of practice.” Matt shrugged, placing his hand in his lap after Hoyer took his away.

“They're just seeing if you're an easy target. Didn't you learn any of that on the Cards?” Hoyer chuckled, shaking his head as he passed by Matt, going over to the other end of the locker room.

 _No, because the Cards are a family._ He thought, would've said if Hoyer hadn't walked away. It was true though, the entire team was a huge, tight-knit family, no one looked down upon anyone else. The Eagles, yeah, he had some problems there, but he stuck close to the quarterbacks. He’d never been on a practice squad, he didn't know the “protocol”, if roster quarterbacks hung out with practice squad quarterbacks.

Either way, Matt was here to play football, not make friends.

“Alrighty, can I get Barkley, Matt?” 

Matt looked up, seeing a man he remembered to be one of the assistant quarterback coaches, though the guy’s name had slipped his mind. So he stood up, and went to the older man with a lean, though muscular frame. The man inspected Matt, raising an eyebrow.

“Why aren't you suited up? Get your gear, let’s go!” This man obviously didn't have any coffee this morning.

Besides, Matt was told to come early, and not get ready for practice until he was told. Apparently there was a little miscommunication here. Either way, Matt went back to his locker to receive the unfriendly glances of his locker mates.

He'd been here about twenty minutes, already pissed off a coach, was hated by some really big guys, and looked like an idiot to the backup quarterback. What a wonderful start.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I was going to post this over the weekend, try to get on a schedule, but today (the 8th) is Matt's birthday! There's no birthday things here, but those will be in an upcoming chapter. Happy birthday, Matt!!

Stretching and warm-ups didn't take too long, and as soon as the Bears were finished, Matt was sent to work with the defense. He had the job of simply executing passes to third and fourth string receivers, the coaches’ focus entirely on the defense. He'd done this a lot with the Cardinals, so it was nothing new. Well, the guys he was working with, they were very new.

He didn't have much trouble, except for how, on their fourth or fifth scrimmage, he got full on sacked, just tackled to the ground, by a big linebacker when the purpose of all of this was for the coaches to watch the safeties and cornerbacks.

The guy who sacked Matt was one from earlier in the locker room, and Matt would swear he caught a smirk from the man. He simply got up with the help of his tight end.

Another problem Matt faced was his center. The guy snapping him the ball loved to snap it high, higher than Matt was used to. This resulted in Matt getting knocked down a few more times. Naturally, the coaches didn't say anything about Matt being targeted, it was, after all, a hazard in his profession.

As soon as they split up, Matt was called over to do other various things, hold for the Bears kicker, Connor Barth, throw passes to various receivers and tight ends. One thing Matt noticed was, how no one was watching _him_. All eyes were on the cornerbacks, Connor, and the receivers he threw to. Matt still wasn't used to the idea of not being able to suit up for games, yet still practice with the team. He knew the practice squad was an important part of any team, but still. He'd be watching the Bear’s first game in his hotel.

Once again, John and De’Vante were at their respective lockers, giving Matt an occasional dirty look. Hoyer was right, they owned him now. And Matt fell for it, now he'd have to deal with this all season.

“Think he'd be up for a party?” John asked, looking around Matt to De’Vante. As if Matt wasn't even there.

“Don't know. Little dude like this might not even hold a couple shots.” De’Vante replied, which caused a couple of other guys to snicker. Matt just rolled his eyes.

“Hey, little dude.” John looked at Matt now, wide smile on his face.

“Hm?” Matt cringed inwardly. Why did he just respond to the name “little dude”?

“We're going out tonight, you wanna come with us?” John asked, and Matt shrugged. Why not? He wasn't a huge drinker, in fact, he didn't like it too much. Still, he should try and fit in, be “one of the guys.”

“Yeah, I'll go out.” Matt shrugged, and John patted him hard on the back.

“Heyy! Looks like we got ourselves a party boy!” De’Vante did the same, practically slamming his open hand against Matt’s back, Matt just smiling, chuckling while trying not to just hop into his locker and disappear forever.

“We’re all meeting at Headquarters Beercade, y’know, that old place south of Wrigley Field?” John asked, and Matt nodded, when in fact he didn't even know where Wrigley Field was. He'd get there though.

“Great! We’ll all be there at like, eight, so we’ll see ya there!”

Both guys left, they got off practice early, already showered and we're headed for home. Matt figured on taking a shower in his hotel, he was too tired right now, and just wanted a little nap.

“Hey, Barkley!” Hoyer came up to Matt, yanking along a man who looked really depressed. He knew it was Jay Cutler, but jeez, was it that bad in Chicago? Cutler looked like he was going to put a gun to his head.

“Forgot to introduce you to the most charming guy on this team. Jay, this is Matt. Matt, Jay.” Hoyer gestured between the two, and Jay offered his hand.

Matt shook it and patted Jay’s shoulder with the other. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. Doing good so far up here?” Jay asked, and Matt thought he was stoned by the tone of his voice.

“Yeah, I’m great, haven't started seeing the city yet, I just got in Sunday morning.” Matt chuckled, trying to get Jay to talk more, since he wanted to see if Jay really was high.

“Yeah, I've been there. You'll see it more. Hey, Brian! We going out tonight?” Jay looked away from Matt, shouting to the backup who’d walked away. Hoyer just waved and gave Jay a thumbs up.

“Alright, uh, yeah, I gotta go, I’ll see you around.” Jay nodded, with a- surprise!- smile.

“Yeah, see ya!” Matt said, though Jay was already walking away. He had some hella fine hair, just looked depressed and high. At least he seemed nicer than most of the guys he's met today.

 

Matt wasn't the snappiest dresser, but he knew it wasn't a huge event of anything. Just a bunch of football players in a bar. That thought made Matt rethink this whole going out thing for a second. Despite being asked to go out with some of his teammates, he still didn't feel welcome. Even on the practice squad, he felt like the odd one out. Maybe it was because he wasn't used to the team, he'd been a Cardinal for a while, and everyone on that team was close. They were all friends, all got along. Here, it was like _Game of Thrones_. Okay, maybe not as intense, but Matt still got the feeling that he wasn't needed, wanted, or useful in any way.

Either way, he was going to try his best to fit in, just so he wouldn't get glared at if he tried to grab something from his locker. Matt went all out casual, jeans and a t-shirt, and hoped he wouldn't be criticized for looking like Eminem.

His taxi driver knew where the bar was, and Matt soon found himself inside this really loud, really crowded, old style bar. There was a lot of vintage arcade stuff, the music was of course, modern, and a lot of people were just randomly dancing in any open floor space they could find. Matt was sure this was some sort of fire hazard.

“Hey, little dude!” He heard someone shout over the music, and he turned to see De’Vante coming up to him.

“Where ya going, man? The party’s over here!” Matt’s arm was grabbed, and he followed the large man over to a group in the back. He saw Hoyer, who had a drink in one hand, using his other to make gestures as he talked to who Matt recognized as Kevin White, a receiver.

There were other guys Matt didn't know, he saw Jay in the corner, talking to some blonde chick, but looked utterly bored with her. As soon as De’Vante left his side, Matt slid into the closest seat he could find, which was next to Connor Barth.

“Sup, man!” Connor smiled widely. Not drink, but certainly tipsy.

“Hey, how's it going?” Matt asked. He glanced over at Jay, who had just caused the girl to burst out into laughter. She seemed like such a slut.

“Good, good. Wanna beer?” The kicker asked, catching Matt a little of guard. It took Matt a second to realize that, in the ranks of football, the kicker was of more importance in the eyes of his teammates than he was.

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.” Matt responded, glancing around the room again. He just got an uneasy, claustrophobic vibe from all of this. He did not want to be here, and was literally considering leaving without a trace.

“Matt? Yo, Matty.” Connor waved a hand in front of Matt's face.

“What?” He looked in annoyance at Connor, who squinted at him with his droopy eyes.

“You gay? You're checking out, like every guy here.” Connor tilted his head, appearing to be in deep thought.

“Wh- I wasn't!” Matt immediately went on defense. His sexuality was no one’s business. He wasn't even looking at any guys, he was looking for a way to sneak out.

“You wereeee.” Connor chuckled, grabbed two fresh bottle of beer as a waitress brought them by, placing one in front of Matt.

“I wasn't checking anyone out, I’m just not comfortable here.” He took his bottle, uncapped it with his hand, and took a long sip.

“Whatever you say, man. Your secret’s safe with me.” Connor tried to wink, but wasn't coordinated enough to make it look like a wink.

 _I'm not gay. He's just drunk._ Matt thought, looking down at the table instead of around the room. Yeah, he did watch Hoyer’s ass this morning. He thought Jay’s hair looked really soft and fluffy. Even Connor had nice features. He was simply observing people’s physical appearance. Was it so bad if they happened to be guys? Matt didn't think that it should make a difference. If he liked a guy, fine. Why would it be a big deal?

 _Because this is the NFL. You'll never be a starter if they think you're into men. Defenses will eat that up._ Matt sighed, and was going to have another sip, when someone bumped into him.

“Sorry! Can you take him, he's about to fall asleep.” It was Hoyer, and he had shoved Jay basically on top of Matt.

“Wh- yeah, sure.” Not like he had anything better to do. Jay’s knees buckled, and Matt stood and caught him before he fell down. Hoyer had already walked off.

“I can stand..” Jay mumbled, but made no attempt to stand by himself. Matt had to basically drag him to a chair.

“You should take him home, he's just gonna sleep there.” Connor said, placing his now-empty bottle on the table and spinning it around.

“Yeah, sure.” This was a wonderful time to make his escape, too. He had an excuse for leaving. He bent down next to Jay, threw one of the man’s limp arms around his neck, and started to stand again, holding onto Jay tightly.

“C’mon, buddy, work with me.” Matt tried to get Jay to walk on his own, and he did, though his feet could barely carry him. Shoving his way through the crowd, he eventually got Jay out into the cool night air. He had to admit, it was a lot nicer out here. Now, for the task of getting this drunk quarterback home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will hopefully be biweekly, Mondays and Fridays. (:

Matt reached into the pocket of Jay’s jeans and pulled out his wallet. Jay was completely gone, not passed out but asleep, and snoring on the younger quarterback. Matt would push Jay’s head off his shoulder, but it would just fall back down. He'd get a whiff of really strong cologne and fresh laundry, which wasn't a terrible combination, but he could think of a lot better ones.

After giving Jay’s address to the driver, Matt buckled his seatbelt, then did the same for sleeping beauty. Well, sleeping stoner. He hadn't seen Jay up close, and it was dark in this cab, but Jay still looked.. sad. There was no other way Matt could describe it, other than just purely sad. Jay’s voice made him think he was from California, yet he knew the quarterback was from the Midwest. All in all, depressed or high or whatever, Jay seemed like a nice guy. Just needs to make better cologne choices.

Matt leaned his head back, accepting the fact that Jay wasn't going to move, and just dealt with the smell. It wasn't long before the driver pulled up to a gated community, looking in the rearview mirror for Matt to give him the combination to open the gate.

“Gimme a sec..” Matt opened Jay’s wallet again, flipping through cards to try and find something. He tried so hard to keep everything in order, so Jay didn't know Matt just haphazardly went through his wallet, but one card fell out and onto the floor. At the same time, he found a piece of paper with a five digit code.

“63831.” He said, and the driver punched in the code, continuing to drive once the gate had opened.

Matt reached down to pick up the card he dropped, but something caught his eye about it. It wasn't a card at all, it was a picture. He didn't want to be nosy, but he pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned it on, just to have enough light to see the picture. He barely recognized Jay, who was wearing a black Vanderbilt sweatshirt, his brown hair hanging over his eyes. He was smiling, and seemed really, really happy.

What confused Matt was what else he saw in the picture. In his arms, Jay was holding another guy in his arms. He had blonde hair, curly and sticking out every which way, and was wearing a Vandy sweatshirt as well. He was smiling just as widely as Jay was. It was a cute picture, really.

Matt turned the picture around, and saw cursive writing on the back. At the bottom, it was signed “Love, Chris”, with a little heart. Matt didn't even skim through the writing, it wasn't his. He was curious, but this photo was not meant for his eyes. He tucked it can safety between a MasterCard and a Shell gas card, folded up the wallet, and slipped it carefully into Jay’s pocket.

He wondered though, as the driver slowly drove through the quiet neighborhood, who Chris was, and why he was being held bridal style in Jay’s arms. He hadn't paid attention to the scenery, but Jay looked really young, and that was a college sweatshirt. But Jay looked so happy. The guy next to Matt right now, though seemingly younger in his sleep, still looked sad.

Matt looked up at the driver when the cab came to a stop, and he reached into his pocket for his own wallet. He paid the driver, gave him a good tip, and opened his door. Getting Jay out of the car wasn't a problem, getting him up to the house was. Matt couldn't tell much about the house itself, other than that it was pretty big, and was made of stone. The outside lights hadn't been turned on, which was strange considering literally everyone else had two or more bright lights.

Matt threw Jay’s arm around his neck, holding him up with an arm around the older man’s waist. Jay had awoken a bit, enough to walk a few steps, before his knees gave way, and he would've fallen if Matt wasn't there to catch him.

“Ugh, c’mon.” Matt groaned as he lifted Jay up, lightly slapping his cheek to try and awaken him.

“Hey, can you hear me?” Jay’s head bobbed a bit, and he mumbled incoherently before his head fell forward again.

Matt sighed, bending down to lift up Jay’s legs, scooping him up so he could walk up the pathway to the house. His muscles strained, Jay was a little heavier than himself, so he had to lean back quite a ways to keep from tipping forward.

Matt had to sit Jay down on the front porch swing so he could dig through the man’s pockets for his keys. Thankfully, he didn't have many, and it only took two tries to find the house key. He stepped inside and flipped a few switches to find the porch light, and the light for the foyer. He took a quick glance at Jay's entryway, there was a small table with a bowl for the keys, a couple family photos, but then nothing else. It was really bare.

_Explore later._ Matt thought, rolling his eyes at himself. He went back out and picked up Jay again, carrying him inside and closing the door with his foot. He assumed that all the bedrooms were upstairs, so he started up the long staircase. Well, it seemed long considering he was carrying a man who weighed at least two twenty-five.

He wasn't sure which room was Jay’s, so he went to the only door that was open. Inside, there was a large bed, a television, and it was decorated with Chicago and Vanderbilt stuff. No sign of any Denver memorabilia, though. A couple team photos, a Vandy pennant, a few framed tickets, to name a few things.

The light was already on, thankfully, and Matt placed Jay down on one side of the bed. He went over to the other side, pulled the sheets back, and carefully moved Jay to the unmade side. After taking off Jay’s shoes, Matt threw the sheets over him.

He observed Jay’s face, still looking sad and tired as he slept. He had bags under his eyes, hadn't shaved in a few days, and his hair was messy and tousled, considering he'd been half-dragged, half-carried into his house. Yeah, Jay did look pretty depressed, but some people just looked like that. The only thing that puzzled Matt was how happy Jay looked in that picture, and how unhappy he looked now.

_It's just the years._ Matt thought. Jay was in what, his thirties? And Matt was pretty sure he had some sort of diabetes, too, so that was probably it. He wasn't old, just older than he was in college. Matt just decided not to think about it anymore. He was tired, and wanted to go home.

“Night, man.” Matt placed his hand on top of Jay’s head, smoothing out his ruffled hair, smiling a bit. Matt turned off the light and closed the door, heading back downstairs. The living room was pretty plain, more photos on the walls, a fireplace, two couches, a table, and a television. No plants or any extra decorations. Matt took out his phone, checking the time. It was just after ten, probably be eleven by the time he got home. Well, more like midnight, considering he'd have to call a taxi service, or check out Uber.

He could just stay, too, it's not like he had anywhere to be early in the morning. Practice starts at one tomorrow, an unusual time only because there was some coaching meeting in the morning. Besides, Jay might want to know what happened last night, if he woke up with no recollection of it whatsoever. Staying seemed like a better option when Matt sat down on the couch. It seemed even better when he laid down and switched on the television.

Matt kept his feet hanging over the edge, in case Jay was a neat freak. Which he did seem that way, what with this very clean, practically Japanese-style house. He laid his head on a couch pillow, settling down in the cool leather. The house was warm enough, so he'd be fine without a blanket. After turning on NFL Network, he put the volume on low, and closed his eyes, slowly starting to drift off to sleep.

 

When Jay woke up the following morning, the first thing that registered was his headache. He hadn't even opened his eyes or moved yet, and his head was pounding. He groaned, rolling over onto his stomach and curling up as much as he could, moving his head to hide it under his pillow.

_Wait, what?_ Jay scrambled to sit up, looking around. Normally when he woke up hungover, he'd be on someone’s couch, usually Brian’s or Kevin’s. Sometimes he'd wake up in whatever bar the team had chosen to visit, or their hotel room for the night. But his own bed? That was very rare.

Jay’s first instinct was to look over, see if someone was beside him. No, there was no girl beside him, no guy either, thankfully. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, and found he could barely even stand upright. Hangovers really were the worst, he was considering putting them at the top of the list, even surpassing concussions. Well, at least for now.

Having to lean on the wall all the way to the stairs, and then all the way down, Jay made it without falling. He knew he'd need insulin, the last time he'd given himself a shot was well before even going out last night. He had a supply in the fridge, but that meant going downstairs safely first.

If there was one thing Jay was good at, it was taking his shots when he needed them. He'd never gone into shock or anything serious because of his diabetes, he always knew exactly when he'd need a shot, and what type he’d require. Right now though, with the hangover, there was no telling if he was low on blood sugar until he tested himself, but he knew he'd need at least a small dose.

Before all of that though, Jay had to make it to the kitchen. What stopped him was the sound of the television. He never left it on at night, unless he fell asleep watching it. Headache, low blood sugar, now someone in his house? If it wasn't a beautiful woman, Jay was going to be severely ticked.

Matt loved cooking breakfast, so when he found eggs and ham, he helped himself. After all, he brought Jay home last night. He was watching the morning news while eating, when he saw the owner of these eggs come down the hallway. A look of utter shock was on Jay’s face.

_Wait. Is that.. Practice squad guy? Shit, what's his name..?_ Jay wasn't pissed, just confused.

“Morning!” Matt smiled, giving Jay a little wave.

“Hello…” Jay put a hand to his head, the other hand going for the wall. Talking.. Not good for the hangover.

Matt stood up and immediately went to Jay, to ensure he wouldn't fall over.

“Want some Advil? I could make coffee, or something.” Matt placed a hand on Jay’s forearm, though took it away when Jay glared at the hand.

“No, not right now. I need to go to the bathroom.” Jay stepped around Matt, hand still on the wall, and started for the kitchen.

“Want some eggs?” Matt asked, though he didn't get a response, so he took that as a no. He soon heard the refrigerator door open and shut, and then the door to the downstairs bathroom. Matt went back to his spot on the couch. He could tell Jay wasn't all too pleased to see him, but who knows? Maybe after some coffee, a morning with Jay might not be so bad.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little scattered, I haven't been able to focus much and collect my thoughts, but it actually is better than I expected.  
> Anyways, I do hope you enjoy! Feedback is always welcomed. <3

Jay didn't come out of the bathroom for another thirty minutes or so, leaving Matt to just make coffee and another batch of eggs. He wasn't a huge coffee drinker himself, but he could tell Jay was, considering how much of the stuff was in the pantry. Once Jay emerged from the bathroom, he looked better, though Matt could tell he was still hungover.

Jay actually managed to remember Matt’s name, though his last name was a little fuzzy. Matt seemed like a good guy, after all, he made eggs and coffee, and gave Jay two ibuprofen when he entered the kitchen and sat down.

“What happened last night, anyway?” Jay asked, picking up a forkful of scrambled eggs and eating them.

“Hoyer had me take you home last night because you fell asleep.” Matt shrugged, sitting back and watching Jay since he had already eaten.

“Yeah, sorry.. I tend to get really tired when I get drunk.” Jay chuckled a bit, though quietly since any sort of movement made his head hurt more.

“Don't worry about it, I was trying to get out of there anyway.” Matt smiled, taking his phone out of his pocket to check it. He was on twelve percent, and hadn't been able to charge since he left his hotel last night.

“Where are you staying? I can call a cab for you or something.” Jay offered, taking out his own phone. He was still in last night’s clothes, as was Matt, but neither really cared.

“Uh, the Hilton off of I-94. I haven't had any time to look for a place yet.” Matt shrugged, he'd only been here a couple days, it would be awhile before he even starts looking. He hadn't expected to be picked up so quickly by the Bears, it was just all so sudden.

“Nice hotel.. You could move into this neighborhood, there’s a house for sale right across the road.” Jay said with a light chuckle, unlocking his phone. He paused though, looking back up at Matt.

“Wait, are you going in today?” Jay asked, and Matt looked at him like he was crazy. He _had_ to go in for practice.

“Well, yeah, don't I have to? I'm on the practice squad after all.” He leaned back more in his seat, watching Jay put his phone down.

“In that case, you can hang here for awhile, I'm going in about an hour anyways.” Jay said, and Matt agreed. He didn't have anything better to do anyways.

“Here, let’s go.” Jay stood and put his dish in the sink, finishing his coffee in one gulp before motioning for Matt to follow him. They went into the living room, where Jay sat down on the couch and picked his laptop up off the coffee table.

“We’re gonna find you a place to live.” He decided for them, and Matt sat down after Jay directed him to. Matt was close enough to smell the coffee on Jay’s breath, but he thankfully didn't get a huge whiff of it.

“Bu-”

“It's either this, or we stare at the wall for an hour. Your choice.” Yeah, off how Jay was just offering out of the blue, but Matt would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate it. He didn't know the area at all, and Jay did.

Jay was just being a nice guy. But there was something in it for him, too.

 

Within forty minutes, Matt had an appointment set up with a woman who owns a building in Glenview. The rent wasn't cheap, but Matt was getting paid handsomely, and he had a lot in the bank, so it was no problem. Glenview was only about half an hour’s drive away from the Bears’ practice facility, and Jay also checked to make sure it wasn't too far from his own house in Winnetka. After all, he had his own reasons for helping out his friend.

Jay loaned Matt a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, they were the same size in both, so they fit well on Matt. Both men took Jay’s car to practice, parting ways when they got to the locker room. Matt’s locker was sort of tucked in the back, whereas Jay’s was towards the front.

“Well well well, what have we here?” Connor came up to Matt as soon as Jay had gone to his locker. He was grinning from ear to ear, following Matt as he weaved in and out of guys to get to the locker with the temporary ‘Barkley’ over it.

“You're looking good considering how early it is.” Matt chuckled, remembering how tipsy Connor was last night. It was still early when he and Jay left, so the kicker probably had more to drink.

“Could say the same for you. You get lucky?” Connor asked, still grinning as he grabbed a chair and sat down in front of Matt, who took off Jay’s t-shirt and grabbed one of his own.

“Mhm. Laid three last night. Two of them were twins and the other was a redhead.” Matt winked, but smiled widely afterward. Connor shook his head.

“No no, not chicks, I'm talking about..You know..” He nodded his head to the side, in Jay’s direction.

Matt knew from that, Connor still thought he was gay.

“No, I didn't. I didn't want to, I don't want to, and I never will want to. Hoyer had me take him home, I did, and that's all.” Matt said, leaning forward and speaking in a rather quiet voice, since De’Vante was right next to them, jamming out with his headphones.

“Oh you'll want to. He's got a way with ‘em.” Connor smirked, leaning back in his chair while Matt started to get geared up for practice.

“He seemed to have a way with that blonde girl last night, before he fell asleep.” Matt said over his shoulder as he turned away from Connor for a moment. The kicker was already suited up, just waiting, so Matt couldn't just say ‘go do something’ while he got dressed. Plus, as bothersome as Connor was about this Jay thing, he liked that he was starting to make friends.

“Do yourself a favor, buddy. When he does come after you,” Connor stood up, stepping forward so he lean up and whisper to Matt. “just let him ride it out like a dog humping a guy’s leg.”

Matt burst into laughter at that, shoving at Connor’s chest so the kicker stepped back, laughing just as hard.

“You're a dick, get outta here!” Matt had to sit down, he was laughing that hard, and even grabbed one of his shoes and threatened to throw it at Connor. He didn't mind Connor’s jokes, they were all just for fun.

 

Tuesday’s practice was the same as Monday’s practice. Matt did all that was asked of him, and no one bothered to watch him. He got hit a little harder than should be by a couple of linebackers, and of course no one called them on it. He'd just receive a helping hand up from someone, a receiver, the center.

Matt walked back into the locker room, sore, tired, and really wanting to sleep in a warm, cozy.. hotel bed tonight. He didn't want to deal with anyone right now, so he was one of the first guys in, hoping to be out by the time De’Vante and John came the over.

“Matt, wait up!” 

He stopped halfway between the door and the locker, turning around to see Connor coming up to him. He didn't want to deal with Connor either.

“We’re all going out again, wanna come?” He asked, smiling. He didn't even break a sweat, whereas Matt was dripping.

“Can I take a raincheck? I’m really beat.” Matt scratched the back of his neck, before running that hand through his damp hair and over his unshaven face.

“Awh, come on! Cutler’s gonna be there!” Connor said in a teasing voice, one that made Matt grab his arm and pull him over towards the wall, away from others, but still in view.

“You can joke about my sexuality all you want, just not in front of guys who want to kill me in practice.” Matt glanced in the direction of one of the linebackers who had targeted him today. He was taking off his gear, talking about something to a couple of other guys.

“So you are gay?!” Connor’s face lit up.

“What? No! How did y-” Matt glanced around nervously. This doesn't need to be heard.

“You said to stop joking about your sexuality! I don't joke about you being straight, I joke about you being gay!” Connor’s face was red from how much he was smiling.

Matt’s face was red with embarrassment.

“Hey, guys! Matt Barkley’s-” Connor couldn't even finish that sentence before he was tackled to the ground by Matt. Who ever heard of a quarterback roughing the kicker?

“Do you want to be strangled?” Matt was straddling Connor’s hips, both hands gripped onto the front of the kicker’s practice jersey.

“No I-”

“Then shut the fuck up. Please, for your own sake, for your mother’s sake, and for your future kids’ sake, just shut up.” Matt spoke quietly, but with nothing about his voice was sweet.

“Hey, I’m sorry, I just never get to screw with a quarterback. I wasn't going to say you're gay or anything, I swear! Just please, don't hurt me!” Connor’s face was full of fear, and he literally looked like he was going to cry.

_Typical kicker. Begging for his life,_ Matt thought, shaking his head.

“Just quit it, okay?” He said, voice softer and kinder as he got up, offering Connor his hand. The kicker stood up with Matt’s help, continuing to apologize. Teammates that were around were watching them, but once the two got up, they all went back to their activities. By the time he got away from Connor and got to his locker, John and De’Vante were already there.

“Hey, little dude! You coming tonight?” John asked, patting Matt hard on the back.

“Nope, I’m going-”

“Of course he's coming!” De’Vante said, ruffling Matt’s hair. Matt didn't want anyone messing with him, but these guys are huge, so he didn't have much of a choice.

“I really don't-”

“We’ll see ya there, buddy. Same time, same place.” John, who had already gotten dressed, patted De’Vante on the shoulder as he left the locker room.

Matt just wanted to sleep. He was probably still feeling jet lagged, even though he was just two hours behind his usual time. He kicked off his cleats and tossed them into his locker, then just tried to get the rest of his gear off as fast as he could. Maybe he could sneak a nap in if he skipped showering. Yeah, like he could skip a shower when he could barely stand himself.

“Want some help?” A soft voice asked from behind him. Jay. He almost didn't want the older quarterback here right now. Almost.

Matt turned around, then nodded, lifting up his arms so Jay could help him out of his shoulder pads. Once Matt could see again, he saw Jay was fully dressed, and his hair still damp from the showers. Probably going to the bar early. Was Chicago really a party team?

“Saw that little thing with Connor, must've really pissed you off.” Jay chuckled, sitting down at John’s locker.

“Yeah.. I’m not in the mood for stupid jokes.” Matt shrugged, peeling off his damp shirt and grabbing the one he borrowed this morning. He’ll shower when he gets to his hotel room, locker room showers were never his favorite.

“Was he talking shit about your mom?” Jay leaned back, stretching his legs out in front of him. When Matt looked to him, his eyes darted from the blond to the floor in front of him.

“No.. He thinks I'm gay and I don't know why.” Jay would've laughed if it weren't for the defeated tone in Matt’s voice.

“I couldn't imagine why he'd think that. I mean, he is a cocky little shit, he's got more balls than I've ever seen from a kicker. You don't seem gay to me.” Jay shrugged, standing up and turning away as Matt started to take off his pants. As if he'd never seen someone’s ass before.

“He's a nice guy, but if anyone thinks I’m gay, I’ll be on the practice squad forever. If I don't get cut.” Matt slipped on Jay’s shorts, leaving his sweaty clothes on the floor for the laundry guys to take.

“Sucks it's not accepted, but that's life. I actually know a guy who’s gay, and plays in the NFL.”

As soon as Jay said that, Matt went up to him, like it was some piece of juicy celebrity gossip. Which actually, it sort of was.

“Really?”

“Yeah, you’d never know it though. He's like, got this super straight persona, y’know?” Jay leaned against John’s locker, smiling through that tired look he often had on his face.

“Who is it? Or, uh, if you can tell me, I don't want him to lose your trust if anything.” Matt shook his head. He didn't know why it fascinated him so much, but he just felt the need to know. He'd find out himself if he had to. A guy in the NFL who was gay, too? Yeah, he knew they existed, but it wasn't some huge secret between all the players or something. Or was it, and Matt was just left out?

“It's actually me. I’m the guy who Connor should actually pick on.” Jay chuckled.

Matt did a double take. Wait.. Jay is gay? _Okay, that shouldn't rhyme.._

It made sense, though. The picture in his wallet, of him holding that blond guy in his arms, looking so happy. The message on the back of it, that was signed, “Love, Chris.”

“You certainly had me fooled.” Matt laughed nervously, running a hand through his hair. “Why are you telling me, though? Like, we just met. Not that I'm not cool with it, it's totally fine with me, I'm not homophobic or anything.” He sort of rambled out the last part.

“Nah, I trust you. Besides, if we're going to be friends of any kind, you should know.” Jay smiled, lifting his hand up to pat Matt’s shoulder. “Now, let’s go, hm?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1.) don't ever count on me to be on time for anything.  
> 2.) this chapter is fun, but you're guaranteed to love it.  
> 3.) have a good weekend. :)

“Wait, where?” Matt asked, eyebrows furrowed together.

“I’ll give you a ride back to your hotel. Then I figured we might hang out while everyone else is getting drunk. You have that appointment tomorrow morning, right? Can't be hungover.” Jay already started walking towards the door, and Matt grabbed his sweatshirt to join him.

He was still processing what Jay had told him. Jay seemed like a really straight guy, he was chatting up that little blonde girl last night. It was just kind of shocking, considering the fact that being gay in the NFL wasn’t accepted. Well, it was, to a certain extent.

“Yeah, I do. I do wanna get a car too, I'm getting tired of taxis.” Matt ran a hand through his hair, leaning his elbow against the window.

“What, Jay Cutler’s Taxi Service not good enough for you?” Jay smiled, lightly swatting Matt’s upper arm.

Matt rolled his eyes as he laughed, eyes shifting to Jay before going back to the city outside the car. He was trying to get used to his surroundings, but everything just looked relatively the same.

“How about this, you take a cab to my place, and from there we’ll take my car. saves time, we’re going further south anyways.” Jay suggested, and Matt agreed. After all, who was he to argue with the guy offering to show him around town?

Jay dropped Matt off at the Hilton, and Matt went up to his room. He plugged his phone in to let it charge while he showered. When he came out, he found a missed call and a few texts from Patrick, who he hasn't even texted in the past couple of days.

_Sup man - 1:45 pm_  
No deliver? U die? - 2:00 pm  
Lol u died betchu went to hell - 3:22 pm 

Matt immediately called his friend.

“Hey! I thought you died!” Pat laughed into the phone, which made Matt smile.

“Nah, sucks for you, I’m alive and kicking. I couldn't charge last night.” Matt started to dry his hair with a towel, sitting down on the floor since he was tethered to his charger.

“Damn, I thought I was through with you. How's it been goin?”

“Good, good. I’m hated by like, half the defense. So I'm going pretty strong so far.” Matt chuckled.

“Shit, dude, they hittin’ you hard?” Pat said, obvious sympathy in his voice.

“It hasn't caught up to me yet. I’ll be hating myself in the morning though. The pads have been doing their job so far.” Matt sighed, leaning his head back against the wall.

Their conversation after that was more football, how things were in Chicago, how everyone back home was doing. Home. The thought didn't make Matt happy. He still thought of Arizona as his home, well, of course California was home, where he grew up and went to school, but he felt like Arizona was the perfect fit. Perfect teammates, coaches, friends. Everything just worked.

Now here he was, on the floor of his hotel room in Chicago, on an entirely different team. Some hated him, a couple thought he was a party hard, a couple seemed like they could be good friends. What was Matt doing here?

He got a little nap in after he hung up with Pat. He's been way too lazy to shave, so he slept for a few extra minutes, until the alarm went off on his phone at 7:30. Once he was dressed, he collected his phone and his wallet, and headed down to the ground floor. He took a cab to Jay’s house, as planned, and the older quarterback was waiting for him.

Jay was collecting what looked to be trash from the backseat of his car, and tossing it into a bag in the garage.

“Hey, man! Long time, no see!” Jay chuckled, shaking Matt’s hand before he went off to into the driver’s seat. Matt sat down in the passenger’s seat, buckling his seatbelt.

“So, where are we going first?” Matt asked, once they got over the greetings and pleasantries.

“Downtown! Well, not quite. I’m gonna park a little ways away, traffic is hell once you get into the city.” Jay didn't really answer Matt’s question as to where exactly they were going, but Matt was just going to roll with it.

“You went to Vandy, right?” Matt asked after awhile. May as well get to know Jay better, they'll be in the car for a little while.

“Yep, the SEC is a tough conference. It just gets better every year. USC for you?”

“Mhm, loved every minute of it.”

“Even that last season?” Jay glanced over at Matt, flashing him a perfect, white grin. Matt was surprised Jay had even known about him during college. And wait.. Jay didn't have such a hot record at Vanderbilt.

“You're one to talk. At least I won games.” Matt got swatted in the arm for that, an action that made him laugh.

“Still loved it, even if we couldn't win. Met a lot of amazing people in college.”

“Same here. And plus, I got to stay in state, go to the beach on Sundays. I’m telling you, California is where it's at.” Matt smiled. He was one of those true Californians, born and raised, and loved his home state with a passion.

“California makes me think of the Chargers. Thanks for ruining my appetite.” Jay chuckled.

“Hey, it’s not all bad, it's really a great place to live.”

Matt and Jay went on, describing their hometowns and childhoods, and before they knew it, had arrived in the city. Jay parked on the twelfth and top floor of a parking garage, and both men took the elevator down.

“Hungry?” Jay asked, checking his watch. It was nearing nine o’clock when they stepped out into the street, which was full of cars and people milling about. They weren't even downtown yet, and it was really busy here.

“Yeah, I could eat.. There are a lot of places around here.” Matt chuckled, looking around at all the different restaurants on this one street alone. He even saw two pizza places, right next to each other.

“You've got plenty of time for Chicago pizza, it's really good, but such a cliche. C’mon.” Jay encouraged Matt to follow him down the sidewalk, and he did. Matt has been in cities all his life, so the only thing unfamiliar to him was the design and layout of the buildings.

“Now here, this is a good place.” Matt couldn't catch the name of the restaurant before Jay opened the door for him, and he stepped inside.

It seemed to be just a regular bar and grill to him, though it was a really big building. It was dimly lit, with wood furnishings, and Chicago-themed decorations. It seemed like the type of place where you could either dress nice, or wear a t-shirt and jeans. The waiters and waitresses wore black, grey, or dark blue, keeping up with that fancy feel the place had, yet their was still a very casual atmosphere.

“Hey, Matt, you're going to turn into a statue, let's go.” Jay waved a hand in front of Matt’s face to get his attention. He had just been staring, looking around at all the people and the decor, while Jay had gotten a table for two.

“Yeah, sorry.” Matt quickly joined his teammate, as a hostess showed them to a high table near the bar, because there were no other tables or booths available.

“Want a drink?” Jay asked, gesturing towards the bar. Matt declined, and opened the menu.

“They have great fish here, the steak is always good too.” Jay suggested, scanning through the menu only briefly, before closing it, whereas Matt had to really read through it like it was a Hemingway novel.

A waitress soon came up and introduced herself as Andrea, and asked what the would like to drink. Jay simply asked for a water, and Matt followed suit.

“There's so much to choose from..” Matt said as he continued looking over the menu.

“Like I said, the steak is great. I’m getting salmon, if you like fish.” Jay leaned back in his chair, smiling as he watched Matt read the menu. Seriously, it was like he'd never been in a restaurant before. But Jay understood, new city, new places to eat.

“Alright, waters for both of you guys.. We ready to order?” Andrea smiled when she returned with two glasses of water, taking out her notepad and pen.

They both ended up ordering salmon, Matt just couldn't choose from such a large selection. And he figured, if he would be staying here awhile, he'd be back.

“Is fish good if you have..diabetes?” Matt asked carefully, he's seen Jay talk about having diabetes a lot on television, but he wasn't sure if he was totally comfortable with discussing it.

“Oh, yeah! I mean, as long as it's fresh. I know the guy who owns this place, and he really does a lot extra to get fresh meat and fish.” Jay nodded. “I can eat, basically the same things you can. I just have to be careful about fried food, processed stuff, some types of cereal. It kind of just forces me to eat healthy and make sure I'm taking care of myself.”

Matt nodded. He found this conversation interesting, since he's a quarterback too, and he's never gotten to talk about diabetes like this with someone. No one in his family, or any of his close friends have it.

As they waited for their food, and after it came, Matt and Jay just talked. Diabetes, football, Jay even talked about the Broncos. For a quarterback with a personality that everyone says is dull, Jay was a really interesting person. What's funny to Matt was though, he and Jay didn't have much in common. Two different men, from two different backgrounds. Maybe that's why they got along, because their conversations were interesting to each other. Just because Matt dated women doesn't mean that Jay didn't want to hear about it.

 

It was almost eleven, the restaurant would be closing soon, and Andrea was sitting at the bar, waiting for the two men, as well as a few other patrons, to leave.

“The third movie was the best, it completed the trilogy! The second one just carries it along, and the first one just starts things off. The third one is-”

“You're missing the point, the first movie is always the best, it starts off the idea, has all the original characters. It's a classic, and it's beautifully written. The other two are just afterthoughts-”

Matt and Jay were having a huge discussion over _The Godfather_ movies, which had been going on for ten minutes.

“I don't care, the third is the best, and that's final.” Jay stood up, opening his wallet to pull out a fifty dollar bill, and left it on the table under the salt shaker. Their dinner only cost about forty-five, which they split down the middle.

“You wouldn't say that if we were talking about _Jaws_.” Matt finished up his fifth water and stood as well.

“ _Jaws III_ was crap, what are you talking about?” Jay gave his friend a quizzical look as they started to leave the restaurant.

“I’m just saying, your argument is invalid.”

“My argument is very valid, thank you. You're just mad because I’m right.” Jay stepped out into the street. It wasn't terribly busy, being that it was late on a Tuesday night and places were closing.

“You suck, okay?” Matt rolled his eyes, but jokingly since he was enjoying their little debate.

“You swallow, okay?” Jay grinned, winking at his friend before he got pushed into the street.

“Go kill yourself, Cutler.” Matt laughed, continuing to walk as Jay caught up to him.

“Pushing me in front of cars? Think murder’s illegal in this state.” Jay chuckled, both hands going into his pockets. It was a little chilly out, and he was just wearing a t-shirt, unlike Matt, who had a jacket.

“Wanna head home?” Jay asked after a few moments of joking conversation.

“Ye- nope!” Matt turned off of the sidewalk and jogged across the street to the park right beside it. Jay followed him, rolling his eyes when he saw Matt heading towards the playground.

Matt hopped onto a swing, which was a little small for him, and started to push himself. Jay couldn't resist since this night had been fun from the start, and sat down on the swing next to Matt.

“Are you actually eleven?” Jay asked as he started to swing as well.

“Age is just a number!”

They soon both were swinging in time, and it was a miracle the metal didn't bend from how much weight was being forced upon it.

Matt ended up leaping off the swing and landing in the grass, while Jay let his feet drag through the mulch to slow himself down. He landed on both feet, but the younger man laid down so he could look up at the sky. The city lights weren't as bright over here, in fact he could hardly see anything, except for the light of Jay’s phone.

“C’mon! You can actually see the stars.” Matt looked up at Jay, who was checking his messages. He finally sat down, and then laid a few feet from Matt.

“Nice view.” Jay chuckled, looking up at the stars with both hands behind his head. “They just all look like stars to me.”

“You never looked for constellations?” Matt asked, confusion on his face, like it was strange to not look at the stars.

“No, not really.” Jay shrugged a shoulder, and equally as confused look on his face as there was on Matt’s.

“Here, lemme show you something. What's your birthday?” Matt scooted closer, eyes searching over the night sky.

“I’m a Taurus.” He replied with a little chuckle. He was smart enough to know that's what Matt wanted to know.

“Perfect!” Matt pointed up at the stars, and Jay leaned over to see what his friend was pointing at.

“Right there,” Matt explained, tracing a pattern in the stars. “is Taurus.”

“I don't see it..” Jay shook his head, squinting to try and see what Matt was tracing. His imagination wasn't that good.

“Here, sit up.” Matt moved to sit Indian-style, patting the grass in front of him for Jay to sit down.

The older quarterback did, and Matt took his hand, balling up all of his fingers, except for his index one.

“Now it's kinda tricky.. You just have to see it right. Taurus is a bull, so try and picture a bull.” He explained, leaning down a bit, so his chin was hovering just over Jay’s shoulder.

“See it?” Matt asked softly, beginning to trace the constellation with Jay’s finger.

“Yeah.. if I squint a little and turn my head.” He chuckled, tilting his head away from Matt to see. It still wasn't very clear to him.

“It just looks like stars, I can't really see it.” Jay shrugged a shoulder, glancing back to Matt. His friend was still pretty close, a little too close for comfort, but Jay wouldn't freak. Matt didn't even realize he was a little invasive of his space.

“Just takes practice, I guess.” Matt smiled, letting go of Jay’s hand and scooting back a bit.

“You'll just have to keep helping me.” Jay shivered a bit, now exposed to the cool air since Matt had moved away from him.

“I’ll do that. There aren't many lights around your place, are there a lot of trees in your yard?” Matt started to stand up, brushing off his clothes, before offering his hand to Jay.

“Nope, just a few of my neighbors’, but they'll lose their leaves pretty soon.” Jay accepted Matt’s hand and stood, brushing himself off as well. It felt like the temperature dropped ten degrees without having Matt so close.

They began to walk back to the parking garage, making casual conversation. Matt even insisted on loaning Jay his jacket, since it was obvious his friend was cold. Don't need the starting quarterback getting sick. The ride back to Jay’s house wasn’t as long, the traffic had improved, considering how late it was, and they parked the car in Jay’s garage around midnight. They both agreed that Matt should stay the night, considering how late it was. He'd just go home tomorrow morning, and get ready for the day then.

“I’ll probably be gone by the time you wake up, I have that appointment with the woman, and then I’d like to rent a car, too.” Matt said as Jay led the way up the stairs to one of the guest rooms.

“You going in tomorrow?” Jay asked, opening one door and flicking on the light. He checked it quickly to make sure the room was clean and had sheets on the bed.

“Yeah, probably in the afternoon if I make it. I’m so exhausted, I might just skip it and sleep instead.” Matt chuckled, yawning as he stepped inside after Jay, looking around the simply set up bedroom.

“I’m just going to work out a little, since we don't have to go in if we don't want to.” Jay leaned against the door frame, Matt turning around to face him.

“Alright, well, good morning,” Matt checked his watch, seeing it was well past midnight, technically morning. “and if I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight.”

Jay rolled his eyes at Matt’s reference to a movie that he thought was annoying, _The Truman Show_.

“Goodnight, Barkley.”

“G’night, Cutler.”


End file.
